Verstappen proved he's a 'future champion' in Singapore

Wednesday, 19 september 2018, 09:39
, by Matthew Scott

Max Verstappen proved he is a Formula 1 champion in waiting by taking second place at the Singapore Grand Prix, according to F1's motorsport chief Ross Brawn. Verstappen combatted power unit issues all weekend to continue Red Bull's run of podium finishes at Marina Bay.

The Dutchman complained of engine braking problems throughout the weekend, issues that were not fixed for the race, while headbutting his steering wheel to select second gear at his pitstop could have been similarly costly.

However, a combination of the 20-year-old's spectacular qualifying lap – the only one to get near Lewis Hamilton's pole time – and Red Bull's strategy combined to secure a well-earned spot behind the championship leader on the podium – Red Bull's sixth in five years in Singapore.

“The young Dutchman squeezed every last drop of performance out of his Red Bull, first when he unexpectedly put it on the front row on Saturday and then on Sunday with an impeccable drive that showed real maturity,” Brawn said.

“He even managed to close on Hamilton when they came up behind traffic, but even then he avoided unnecessary risks, perhaps aware that he didn’t have a real chance of winning.

“It shows that the Dutchman has all the hallmarks of a future champion.

“It's not enough to just produce phenomenal performances in some races if others are marred by silly mistakes, but more and more Verstappen's race are characterised by not just prodigious pace but also composure.”

Hamilton has spoken about his desire to fight properly for the title against Verstappen, and Brawn echoed the Mercedes man's desire for Honda to put Red Bull at full speed in 2019.

“Max is growing in stature and he now needs a car with which he can always fight for victory, not just in certain situations,” he said.

“Even if Red Bull is a relatively young team, it has shown through their past success that they know how to do that.”

Are you a real Formula 1 fan?

Comments (4)

James Wolford

What? He didn’t pass anyone, he just got lucky Ferrari pitted too early and got stuck behind Perez then jumped them in the pits.
Red Bull have good decision makers and build a car that can handle with good downforce.
Max did very well in Q3, but any number of drivers could have done that in that car. Ricardo isn’t in the game and neither is his car. He is probably sandbagging for Renault anyways.

Jonathon Bellamy

Great driver to watch, getting better and improving each year. Cannot wait until he is given a great car. Can you imagine him versus Lewis Hamilton, throwing in Riccardo in a quick Renault? A three way tussle with three great talents.

Avgoustinos Karatzias

Ok so let me get this straight..Riccardo wins = great win for the Honey Badger (end of story) when Verstappen gets second place = future champion, his blood is from pure gasoline, this kid was born with special talents etc etc..ffs

Mercedes

Ferrari

Red Bull

Renault

Haas

Facebook

GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.

We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track.
From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.